


Rest In Peace, Mary Jane Watson.

by mjwatson



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-01-07 15:17:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjwatson/pseuds/mjwatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Peter, it doesn't matter because whatever he does to pull us apart would have to be bigger and stronger than what brought us together and kept us together, no matter what happened. And there's no power in the universe big enough for a job like that. Not the Devil, not God, not anybody." This story is "RATED T" for language, violence, sexual themes and adult content. R&R.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Rest In Peace, Mary Jane Watson**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

     I was falling. The only sound was the air whistling as I fell two, three, four stories. I was gaining speed the further I fell.

It occured to me that this could be the end.

_Any last words, MJ?_ My psyche taunted me mercilessly as I plummeted from the forty-eight story building.

There were no revelations. There were no last minute repents. My life didn't even flash before my eyes. Strangely enough, I was at peace. Utter peace.

**DOINGGGGGG**

That was the sound I heard as my backside fell into a webbed cradle strung between two buildings. I shut my eyes tight as the webbed cradle squeaked under the pressure of my weight and the G-force I had accumulated on my twenty-story descent. Like a rubberband, the webbing stretched as it absorbed the energy created from my fall and I continued downwards for another fifteen feet. I gripped the thick strands of webbing at either side and prayed it wouldn't snap. Suddenly, the webbing stopped moving downwards and quickly catapulted upwards. I felt a sudden, brief pressure of G-force against my entire body as the webbed cradle pulled itself taught again. I was still. I laid quietly for a moment, listening to my soft but ragged breath. Strands of red hair covered my face and it took me a moment before I could gather my wits enough to tear my grip from the spiderweb and pull the veil from my eyes.

The spiderweb shook.

"Hang tight for a second, 'kay?" It was a man's voice coming from behind me.

Fighting against the stickiness of the webbing, I turned my head to where the voice was coming from. Spider-Man was perched on the edge of the web and despite my fear, I laughed.

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere fast." I turned my head to look below me. About twenty stories below, a large group of people had formed. I couldn't hear the soft gargle of their worried cries over the wind roaring past me. "Just," I turned back to look at Spider-Man but he was gone. "...don't forget me..."

I sighed, turning my head again to look up into the sky.

How did I get myself into this predicament, Diary?

_Let me start from the beginning..._

Cut scene to about eleven this morning: Peter knocks on my Aunt Anna's door. She answers and although I'm upstairs finishing my makeup, I can hear her excited chatter and his low, masculine voice. In order to save him from being bored to tears, I put away my makeup and check myself in the mirror beside my bedroom door: dark jeans, black high-heeled boots up to my knees and a green blouse that would make anyone's mother blush. I'm tall, much taller than most girls, and slender. My hair appears auburn in the dim lighting of my bedroom but I know how the red highlights glisten in the light. Where did the Tom-boy go? The lanky one who never brushed her hair. The girl with torn up knees and orange freckles dotting her nose. Puberty came and turned the lanky girl into a beautiful woman who hardly recognized herself.

I rush downstairs. They're both sitting in the living room. The TV is on.

"Heya, tiger." I lean against the archway.

"Hey, MJ." He smiles, looking sheepish as his eyes sweep over me. I revel in the momentary attention but before long, something on the tv catches his eye. He turns.

'...Rhino is destroying the city! Six policemen have been injured and there's no sign of when the chaos will end!' The reporter spoke quickly, fear and excitement speeding his words into a feverish pitch. I turn my head. Peter seems agitated. His knuckles are white as he balls his fists in his lap.

I think to myself, _'Perhaps that rockstar hunk Spider-Man will show up!_ ' I turn back to the tv and shout excitedly, "Oh, Peter! Let's go check it out! We'll catch you later, Aunt Anna!"

Before anyone can say interject, I grab Peter's arm, pull him from the couch and rush him out the front door. I don't want to waste another second. We need to get there quickly so we don't miss Spider-Man.

There's a motorcycle parked at the curb. Who would have thought a square like Peter would drive a motorcycle? Truthfully, I was half expecting him to pick me up for our first date on his bicycle.

Without skipping a beat, I jump on the back and put on the spare helmet that was buckled on the side of the bike. Peter is still standing on the porch looking confused.

I sense he's about to protest about me going with him. I shout again and wave him down. "Let's go before we miss any of the action!"

"Mary Jane," He walks down the steps of the porch onto the lawn. "This is too dangerous."

"Come on, scaredy cat." I pout, jutting out my bottom lip. "I'll stay out of the way. Please, please, please?" I bat my long eyelashes at him. Apparently this does the trick... or he already knows that my mind can't be changed. Sighing heavily, he relents. He walks over to the bike and sits down.

"Your aunt is going to have my hide if something happens to you." He puts on his helmet. I lean forward, pressing my breasts into his back and cross my arms over his stomach.

"I can take care of myself." I purr into his ear. I can almost feel the shiver that runs down his spine before he kickstarts the bike and speeds off towards the city.

We get into the heart of the city in record time. It's pure madness. Police cars barricade the street. We can hear a barrage of gunshots. New Yorkers are screaming, running away from the chaotic scene. Peter parks the bike in front of the barricade of police cars. He nearly jumps from the bike, kicking the kickstand down and pulling off his helmet in one quick, fluid-like motion. I slowly get off the bike. I can feel his agitation mounting as he narrows his brown eyes and peers down the street. Far off in the distance, we can see Rhino and a wall of policemen. The ground quivers as Rhino charges at the human wall. He makes contact and three policemen are sent flying through the air as they collide with the beast's skull. Again, the barrage of gunfire is heard echoing through the empty city street but it's clear that bullets are no match. They seem to bounce right off Rhino's hard, armored skin.

A crowd of panicked individuals engulf me as they run from the scene and I quickly lose sight of Peter. I struggle to stay on my feet as the wave of people carry me further from the scene.

"LOOK!" One of the individuals from the crowd scream excitedly, pointing to the sky. "SPIDER-MAN!"

This declaration seems to send some people deeper into a frenzy of panic while others stop running away to turn and look where the man was pointing in the sky. Sure enough, Spider-Man was swinging over the police car barricade. Arching in the sky, he gracefully drops from the sky in front of the police men. He stands as a shield between the policemen and Rhino, legs spread out, balled up fists on his hips. I couldn't hear a word he spoke but I heard Rhino's reply; a deafening rumble of laughter.

Spider-Man was going to save the day! I had dreamed of seeing Spider-Man live ever since the news had begun reporting sightings of the masked hero. Courage steeled my veins and I turned in the opposite direction of the crowd. Elbows out, I fought to make my way back to the police barricade.

"What makes you think YOU can stop me, puny man?" The Rhino laughs again.

The closer I get, the clearer I can hear their voices. I climb over the hood of a police car. I hear someone scream for me to get back, that it's dangerous where I'm going. I feel someone try to grab my arm as I slide over the hood of the police car but I wrench myself free.

I begin to run towards the line of policemen but stop abruptly when I see a figure soaring towards me. It's Spider-Man. Rhino's deep laughter rings out as Spider-Man comes hurtling towards me. I roll to the side, barely missing a head-on collision. Spider-Man hits the ground and rolls, landing on all fours. He crouches, fingers gripping the asphalt. From his peripheral, he notices me.

"What the Hell-" Surprised to see a civilian in the danger zone, he is caught unaware. Rhino realizes this and begins to charge at him. "Get away from here!"

I notice Rhino before he does.

"WATCH OUT!" I scream, pointing at the mammoth figure charging towards him. It's too late. Rhino throws his entire body into Spider-Man and I can hear an audible "OOMPH!" as he is sent soaring thru the air again.

Rhino turns towards me. Although he is mammoth and his body is covered in a suit of armor that looks more like the tough hide of a Rhino (surprise, surprise), his face is human. He smirks at me, all the evil in the world gathering on that awful face.

"Well, hello there, pretty girl." He turns towards me, bent down in a stance a Football player would make before a play. Every fiber of my being braced for a direct hit. The asphalt beneath my feet shook as he began to charge towards me. I was frozen in place.

I heard a soft "zip, zip, zip" as webbing was continuously wrapped around Rhino's body, slowing him down to barely a crawl. Rhino fought against the webbing, jerking his body forward, inch by inch. Spider-Man stood behind him, grunting loudly as he lassoed the enourmous beast and tried desperately to keep him from moving forward.

"I can't hold him, Mary Jane!" Spider-Man screamed between clenched teeth, "You need to run!"

How did he know my name? ...I marveled for a moment but I had no time to dwell on this for long.

Rhino let out a howl that sent shivers down my spine. The webbing was already beginning to snap as Rhino fought against it; brute strength. Before he was able to escape the coccoon of webbing, I turned on my heels and ran throughg the revolving doors of the building directly behind me. I paused in the unfamiliar lobby for a moment, looking around for stairs or an elevator. In the corner of the lobby, adjacent to the welcome desk, a pair of metal doors. I had found it! I sprinted towards it and as I ran, my heels slipped on the freshly waxed marble floor and I tumbled to my knees. I scrambled to my feet again. I heard glass crashing and metal whining as it was twisted from its frame. Behind me, Rhino was hurtling through the side of the building, head down, shards of glass glittering across his grey skin. I ran, throwing myself against the metal doors of the elevator, desperately pressing the button to open the doors.

"Here kitty kitty." Rhino's voice behind me as he taunted me. The ground began to shake as he took his sweet time, one step at a time. I kept on pressing the button for the elevator, my heart pounding. The earth began to shake more persistently as Rhino's stride quickened. I turned to face him, not wanting to be attacked from behind.

10... 9... 8...

"Let's dance." Rhino shoved his fist into the marble floor, sending tremors into the ground that knocked me off my feet. I looked up and behind me.

6... 5... 4...

He grabbed my foot and was about to drag me to him.

3... 2...

SPLAT.

Rhino growled as a thick patty of webbing was shot into his eyes.

DING.

The doors of the elevator opened and I scrambled backwards into the elevator.

"Go to the rooftop! I'll meet you there!" I couldn't see him but I heard Spider-Man's voice as the doors began to close. Rhino was clawing at the webbing, laughing deeply.

"I'm gonna rip your fucking throat out!..." The Rhino's voice died as the doors shut. I rushed to my feet and pressed the button for "48."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for Mary Jane's life continues...

**Chapter 2**

 

The elevator seemed to move at a crawl. Lilting, cheerful music spewed from the speakers above my head, mocking the seriousness of my predicament.

"I'm going to be stuck on the roof." I stared up at the floor numbers as it crawled upwards, my momentary relief quickly fading away with each floor that passed. If Spider-Man didn't win this battle, I was going to be stuck on a rooftop at the mercy of the Rhino.

The elevator car trembled. The music stopped and the lights flickered. I yelped, gripping the railing against the elevator wall.

'In case of emergency, take stairs.' I read the sign below the buttons for the floors and laughed bitterly at the irony of this statement. I was on the 37th floor and the elevator car wasn't budging. I had two options: sit and wait for either Spider-Man or the Rhino to find me... or leave the safety of the elevator and attempt the last 11 flights of stairs to the rooftop.

Not one for waiting, I chose option two. Mustering up every fiber of courage, I pulled my grip from the railing and punched the button to open the elevator doors. The doors made a grinding sound and stalled. I punched the button again, this time pushing my fingertips into the jam between the two doors and pulling apart with all of my strength. I grunted, cursing Rhino under my breath. The doors budged open by only a foot but that was more than enough space to squeeze my slender body through.

Finding the stairwell and running up the next 11 flights of stairs was quite uneventful so I won't bore you with those details.

On the 48th floor, I found the door to the rooftop. I kicked the door to break the lock and ignored the alarm that began to blare as I opened the rooftop door. The bitter wind whipped through my hair as I shielded my eyes against the bright midday sun. Not far off, an army helicopter hovered, scanning the streets for Rhino. I ran to the edge of the rooftop, waving my hands, screaming for help. I screamed until my voice began to quiver but it was no use. Even if they could hear me, they wouldn't come to my rescue. They weren't here to save civilians. They were here to find and kill the Rhino.

"You're on your own, Mary Jane." My heart sank as the helicopter hovered further away.

Shivers ran down my spine as I felt the ground beneath me tremble. No doubt Rhino was nearing closer. My eyes locked onto the closed door leading back into the building. There was no coverage on the rooftop and if I could make it back in to the building, I could at least hide in one of the offices to buy myself (and Spider-Man) some time. Just then, it dawned on me. Spider-Man could be dead. If Rhino was on his way to the rooftop, surely he had gotten past Spider-Man.

Or, perhaps, Spider-Man gave up.

I wasn't going to depend on Spider-Man to save me, or to save New York City for that matter. I could end this madman's tirade.

I climbed on top of the ledge, my limbs trembling. The wind pulled, threatening to send me tumbling to my death 48 stories below. As I waited, I steeled my veins. This was _my_ city. The only home I had ever known. It would be over my dead body that some raging lunatic would go around destroying it.

I waited no more than a minute before Rhino barreled through the door leading to the roof, his enormous body bending the doorframe as he burst through it. I glared at him from across the rooftop. I bawled my fists at my sides then called out, raising my voice louder than the wind that began to rage around us, "Hey! Big, bad and ugly," Rhino's terrible lips curled into a snarl. I continued yelling, praying the fear wouldn't show through in my voice, "You want me?" He lowered his head and I knew my plan was going to work.

"... then come and get me!" I shouted my last words as the Rhino's hulking body came sprinting towards me at full-speed. He was blinded with rage, any sort of rational thinking drown out by his thirst for blood.

I gasped in one more ragged breath then stepped backwards off the ledge.

I was falling. The only sound was the air whistling as I fell two, three, five stories. I was gaining speed the further I fell.

It occurred to me that this **_was_** the end.

_Any last words, MJ?_ My psyche taunted me mercilessly as I plummeted from the forty-eight story building.

There were no revelations. There were no last minute repents. My life didn't even flash before my eyes. Strangely enough, I was at peace. Utter peace.

Far above me, Rhino was hurtling off the ledge. He had been running too fast. Even if he had tried to stop himself from falling off the ledge, his hefty weight would have been too much to stop the momentum he had created.

Are you confused, reader? Is this not the way you thought it would all end? You see, not everything ends like a fairy tale or a movie, diary. Sometimes the hero dies.

**DOINGGGGGG**

That was the sound I heard as my backside fell into a webbed cradle strung between two buildings. I shut my eyes tight as the webbed cradle squeaked under the pressure of my weight and the G-force I had accumulated on my twenty-story descent. Like a rubberband, the webbing stretched as it absorbed the energy created from my fall and I continued downwards for another fifteen feet. I gripped the thick strands of webbing at either side and prayed it wouldn't snap. Suddenly, the webbing stopped moving downwards and quickly catapulted upwards. I felt a sudden, brief pressure of G-force against my entire body as the webbed cradle pulled itself taught again. I was still. I laid quietly for a moment, listening to my soft but ragged breath. Strands of red hair covered my face and it took me a moment before I could gather my wits enough to tear my grip from the spiderweb and pull the veil from my eyes.

I blew a piece of crimson hair from my eyes just in time to see Rhino one hundred feet above me. If I didn't rip myself free of the web, Rhino's mammoth two-ton body would smash me to bits.

I pulled desperately against the web, unable to tear my frightened gaze from Rhino's free-falling body. If Spider-Man's webbing could hold men ten times my size, there was no hope of me freeing myself from its grip.

"For New York." I whispered before Rhino's body collided with my own.

Just in time, Spider-Man catapulted through the air, swinging on a thin line of webbing. He jumped from the line and smashed into Rhino, his momentum strong enough to move Rhino's trajectory line by a few inches. The two tumbled down onto the web, mere inches from my feet. The webbing sunk dangerously low under their weight. The webbing pulled huge chunks of brick from the side of the building as the two began to wrestle.

I gasped, unable to move away from the two men as they began to throw punches, all rage and fury.

The webbing began to snap, groaning angrily under the shifting weight of Spider-Man and the Rhino. The last bits of brick crumbled from the webbing secured to it and all three of us came tumbling down.


	3. Chapter 3

I was falling. I kept my eyes locked on Spider-Man but he didn't look back at me. A part of me was grateful that he didn't look; he surely would have seen the fear and desperation that warped my face.

We were within thirty seconds of death. Within reach of my fingertips, Rhino had Spider-Man locked in his grip as the two hurtled towards the ground. I watched in horror as Rhino gripped Spider-Man's wrists and clenched down, forcing an anguished scream to escape from behind Spider-Man's mask. I could almost hear bones crunching above the sound of the wind whistling in my ears. On either of Spider-Man's wrists there was a dim flash of light then plumes of black smoke billowed up and through Rhino's bulbous fingers. Rhino pulled Spider-Man to him, smashing his forehead into Spider-Man's. For a moment, Spider-Man's rigid body went limp.

"NO!" I couldn't stop the scream that ripped from my body.

A small glimmer of life stirred within Spider-Man's limbs. He ripped his wrists free of Rhino's slack grip and in one fluid motion, brought his knees to his chest and kicked Rhino's abdomen, pushing him away from us. He turned his head and reached for me. He pulled me against him, arm snaked around my waist. With his free arm, he reached up (to what I can only assume was attempt to sling out a web to stop our fall) but nothing happened. He lowered his arm, grabbed me with it and tried again with his other side. Again, nothing happened. We were so close to the ground that I could see the frightened expressions on the bystander's upturned faces below us.

"I don't know if this is going to work but it's our only option..." He grabbed me with both hands and positioned me directly in front of him. I could tell by his voice that he was panicked. "Hold on tight."

He held me against his chest and for a moment, I felt like a child again; cheek pressed against my father's chest, the warmth of his body and the sound of his pounding heartbeat strangely soothing to my soul. Our body's began to shift so that we were horizontal to the ground. Over the sound of the wind, I could hear screams. We must have been close to the ground now.

"If this doesn't work," Spider-Man's whisper was the last sound I heard before it happened, "I'm so, so sorry, Mary Jane."

Squealing metal. Air rushing from my lungs. ...and then, darkness.

Reader, don't worry. This wasn't the end of my story. The fates had woven a different demise for me and this was just the end of a chapter, not the end of the whole book. In fact, I guess you could argue that this was just the beginning of a new chapter. A beautiful chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

The nightmares were horrendous.

It was the same image, repeating over and over again: Spider-Man's lifeless body splayed across the hood of a police car. The hood is badly caved in, Spider-Man's crumpled body sunk down into its jagged crevice. I don't know where we are or who's holding me but someone is carrying me away from him. The edge of my vision is dark and foggy. I hear myself calling Spider-Man's name; chanting it weakly as I'm carried further away.

I finally wake up from the nightmare... but I quickly realize the nightmare has just begun.

I stare at an unfamiliar ceiling, dinghy and yellow. I hear machines beeping around me. I realize with a start that my mouth is forced open by tubes feeding down my throat. I feel myself beginning to choke and instantly, I'm yanking them out. I feel cold hands on my wrist, gently restraining me but I'm crazed and they cannot stop me. Tubes out of my throat, I begin to pull IVs out of my skin, ripping flesh as I do. I scream hoarsely in pain, tears squeezing from my eyes.

"Mary Jane, Mary Jane!" It's my Aunt Anna. She's feebly trying to hold my arms down against the hospital bed I'm lying in. "NURSE! Please! Help us!"

I'm tossing and turning, disoriented and scared. I flail my arms, my voice growing stronger the more I scream.

Another nurse comes running into the room, shortly followed by four more. They rush to my bedside, pushing my Aunt Anna to the side. Four nurses hold my arms and legs down while another empties a syringe into my arm.

I try to resist the calm that begins to blanket me but I'm unable to. I nestle back into my pillow, staring blankly at Aunt Anna as collapses into a chair beside the bed and cries into her handkerchief.

"Do you know your name?" From my left side, a doctor has begun to speak but I don't turn my head to look at him. I can't stop watching my aunt cry.

"Do you know your name?" Again, he repeats the question.

I whisper without looking away from my aunt, "Mary Jane Watson."

"Ms. Watson," Satisfied with my answer, the doctor continues, "You've suffered from a severe concussion. You have one collapsed lung and your left wrist is fractured. That's the bad news." It takes a great deal of strength to turn my head to look at him.

"There's good news?"

"The good news is that you're alive." The doctor cracks a small smile as he peer down at his clipboard. He looks up, his eyes kind. "You should be dead, Ms. Watson. Everyone in New York saw what happened on TV. You are a very lucky woman."

I remember everything that had happened.

"Is Spider-Man okay too?"

The doctor's smile fades. He opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it. Before I can ask again, he speaks. "The fall killed Rhino. We don't know what happened to Spider-Man. You've been in a medically-induced coma for a week, Mary Jane, and... well..."

Aunt Anna touched my right hand. I turned and looked up at her as she spoke, "Mary Jane. No one knows if Spider-Man survived. You see, when the policemen pulled you free from his grip, they were more concerned about getting you to a hospital. They were afraid that Rhino was still alive and was going to attack again. When the policemen returned to tend to Spider-Man, he wasn't there. ...They said- " She stopped, her eyes tearing up.

"They said what, Aunt Anna?" I plead, my voice whining as the tears tumble down my cheeks.

"They said there was a lot of blood. Too much blood." She began to weep freely, intermittent sobs chopping her words into fragments, "I'm afraid they don't think Spider-Man made it, sweetheart. Rhino killed a lot of people... Aunt May's nephew-" The sobs ripped through her and she crumpled back into the chair beside the bed.

I turned my head and stared up at the ceiling of my hospital room, hot tears searing my cheeks.

I killed Peter Parker.

I killed Peter.

I killed him.

The tranquilizer coursed through my veins, keeping my sobs reserved to noiseless tears.

After that day, I was allowed to return home to my Aunt Anna's. My collapsed lung had been only a partial collapse and a minimal one at that. The week-long coma had given my body the necessary rest it needed to inflate the collapse and so, clad in a wrist cast, I made my exit from the hospital. My aunt looped her arm through mine as we made the descent to the hospital lobby in the elevator.

"Spider-Man's deat-..." She cleared her throat uncomfortably, "The Rhino incident has caused a lot of media attention. There have been reporters waiting outside of the hospital every day since you came here. They think you and Spider-Man..."

"I got it, Aunt Anna." Cold as ice, I loosened my arm from out of my aunt's grip and walked through the open elevator doors. I felt nothing as I exited the hospital doors and a mob of hungry reporters thronged around me.

"Ms. Watson! How do you feel-"

"Spider-Man died to save you-"

"How long were you and-"

"What will you do now?"

"Do you think he's still alive?"

I pushed through the reporters, ignoring their questions. A taxi cab waited for us and I jumped in, slamming the car door behind me. The reporters continued their onslaught of questions through the closed window. I ducked down in the seat of the cab, covering my face from the flash of the cameras. Aunt Anna slipped into the front seat of the cab and after exchanging a few words with the cab driver we were on our way back home.

It took another week for the reporters to leave me alone. Even then, a lone journalist or two would occasionally follow me home after school, spewing a barrage of questions at me as I walked. My answer was always the same no matter what question they threw at me: "I don't know."

It was late one evening when I saw Peter. I had finally relented and left the confines of my bedroom at Aunt Anna's to try and enjoy a night with my friends. She had been begging me incessantly to go out and attempt to enjoy myself and forget about the Rhino and Spider-Man. I finally caved. Two hours later, I was sitting at a cafe with three of my friends: Gwen, Betty and Monica. We chatted about nonsense, everyone delicately side-stepping anything related to Spider-Man and the "incident." I sat beside a window and every so often I stared out of it, watching snowflakes drift down into the street.

"Yo, space cadet!" Gwen laughed, gently kicking me with the toe of her boot. "Come back to us."

I smiled, shaking myself back to reality. "Sorry, Gwendy." I sipped my hot chocolate and relished in the steam that warmed my face. The hot chocolate burned my tongue but I didn't flinch. Pain was a feeling and feeling anything was better than nothing.

"It's getting pretty gross out there." Gwen continued, nodding to the window. The snow was beginning to fall harder. Passersby tightened their coats around them, bowing their heads from the snow as they shuffled by on the sidewalk.

A familiar face passed by. We made eye contact before he ripped his gaze from mine and hurried past the window. I gasped.

"Peter-!" I stood so quickly that my chair overturned and clanged against the cafe floor.

"MJ, what's wrong?" Betty reached out to grab my hand but I pulled away. Without another word, I ran out of the cafe and began to sprint down the sidewalk.

"Peter!" I called out to his fleeting figure. He didn't stop. In fact, he began to walk faster. "Peter, please wait!" He turned and I lost sight of him. A few moments later I turned down the street he had turned down but he wasn't there. It was an alleyway, not a street, and it was empty.

I crumbled. My knees cracked against the icy sidewalk and I began to cry into my hands.

Had I only been imagining him? Was my desperation and grief so awful that I was becoming delusional?

"Oh, sweetheart," Gwen breathed into my ear as she fell on her knees beside me. I felt someone place the coat I had left at the cafe over my bare, quivering shoulders. Gwen engulfed me in her arms, hushing my guttural sobs. "It's okay to cry, MJ. It's okay."


	5. Chapter 5

"Peter's finally home."

I nearly spit out the Lucky Charms I had been shoveling into my mouth.

"What did you say?!" I let my spoon clang down into my cereal bowl. Aunt Anna glanced at me from over her shoulder then turned and continued to wash dishes at the kitchen sink.

"Peter is home. He was on assignment somewhere for the Daily Bugle, taking pictures or something of that sort." She spoke so nonchalant, not at all like she were speaking about someone whom we assumed had been dead for nearly two weeks. "May told me last night. Apparently he had told her about the assignment beforehand and well, after the chaos with the Rhino erupted she must have forgotten. May said that his phone got crushed-"

"He bailed on me!" I could feel the fury bubbling up inside of me. "While I was playing Cat and Mouse with an overgrown mutant Rhinocerous, Peter was tucking his tail and running the other way! That _coward!_ "

Aunt Anna turned to face me, her face calm and sympathetic. She began to dry her hands with a towel as she took a step towards me. "Try to be understanding, Mary Jane. He was afraid and understandably so."

"Aunt Anna!" I squealed, standing at the kitchen table, fists balled on the tabletop. "He dropped me off and when things got too hairy, he ran away like a little girl! If it weren't for Spider-Man, I would be-"

"Stop it." Aunt Anna hushed me before I could say the dreaded D-word. Her calm facade broke and for a moment I worried she was going to cry again. "Please, Mary Jane, don't even say that word. You're in one piece and quite frankly, that's all that matters to me. Peter is a good boy. Maybe he isn't the bravest boy in the whole wide world but he's a _good_ boy. Just let it go, sweetheart."

Like someone had pulled the stopper right out of me, I felt my fury dissipating. I sighed, defeated by the little old woman standing before me. "Alright, Aunt Anna. But you and Aunt May have to stop trying to set us up." I picked up my cereal bowl and dumped it into the sink. The porcelain chimed angrily against the metal spoon. "I date men. **Not** little girls."

The walk to my bus stop was a rough one. New York City in December is not pleasant; snow, wind, black slush all over the sidewalks. I huddled down deeper in my coat, reminding myself that my graduation was only five months away and then High School would be just another memory.

The next five months passed uneventfully. New York City saw its worst winter but thankfully, it was villain-free. I watched the news religiously in hopes that Spider-Man would reappear just like Peter had but... he never did. The crime rate spiked and even Spider-Man's greatest media adversary, J. Jameson, the editor for The Daily Bugle, issued a statement that perhaps Spider-Man did more good than bad for our city. It was hard but eventually I came to accept that Spider-Man was gone. Eventually, I stopped watching the news and eventually, the entire city lost hope just like me.

Peter was home and occasionally I would see him leaving his aunt's next door in the early morning hours or coming home in the middle of the night. His peculiar schedule made him easy to avoid. Aunt Anna tried to bring him up again only one more time, boasting that he had re-enrolled into Empire State University but I quickly cut her off and changed the subject.

As graduation approached, Gwen and I became even closer. We made plans for the future, mapping out our careers and goals. We were an unlikely duo, she the brainy amateur physicist and me... the amateur actress who could hardly even spell physicist. Despite our differences, we became inseparable. Where she was quiet and introvert, I was loud and extrovert. Where she was organized and collected, I was a tornado, wreaking havoc wherever I went. I liked to say that we balanced each other out, I was the ying to her yang, but the truth was that Gwen helped me be an adult. Without her, I probably never would have applied to Empire State University and I wouldn't be staring at the acceptance letter framed and hung over my aunt's fireplace.

On graduation day, Gwen and I sat together in our black robes, her blue eyes, big as saucer cups, perpetually filled with tears. As our principal spoke to the graduating class I whispered jokes about his toupee to keep her tears at bay. When my name was called to stand and receive my diploma, I felt nothing. When Gwen's name was called to stand and receive her diploma, I felt giant crocodile tears rolling down my cheeks. High school was over. After the graduation ceremony, Gwen and I were moving into an apartment just two blocks from Empire State University where we would share a small two bedroom, one bathroom hovel.

I beamed despite the tears. Despite the odds of a broken family, an abusive alcoholic father and a crazed Safari animal, I had made it: I was an **_adult_**.


	6. Chapter Six

"Excuse me, sir. Do you know where Lab 32A is located?"

"Uh," Peter turned to face the petite blonde who had a look of confusion that mirrored his own. "I'm in the same boat as you."

Panicked students rushed past them as they stood in the middle of Empire State University's main thorough way. The girl cocked her head, furrowing her golden brows. "What?"

Peter chuckled, raking his hand through his mop of unruly brown hair. "I'm trying to find it too."

"Oh!" She laughed and for a brief moment, her cheeks flushed red. She squeezed her books closer to her chest then smiled up at the tall brown-haired man in front of her. "Well, I suppose there's strength in numbers. Professor Connors?"

Peter nodded his head, simultaneously hoisting his backpack strap higher onto his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure it's this way."

The blonde walked some distance with Peter, all the while quietly struggling with the large stack of physics books. The two walked in an awkward silence, both strangers wondering if they should say something to break the silence and yet, both choosing to let it span between them. After a moment, Peter stopped walking and turned to her, a crooked smile hoisting the corner of his mouth.

"You want me to carry those?"

"I, uhh," The blonde looked visibly flustered before finally relenting, "Yes, please." She sighed in exasperation then laughed, her sapphire eyes twinkling, "I wasn't sure which book the professor was going to want for the first day so I brought all of them." Her smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of genuine concern. "Are you sure though? They're really heavy."

Peter smiled as he took the stack of books from her. "I'm stronger than I look."

Again, the girl's cheeks flushed. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I just-" She let her words trail off as they resumed their trek to Lab 32A. After a short while of silence, they arrived at the door to the classroom. Before entering, Peter handed the blonde her books.

"Thanks." She held the books against her chest, peering up into Peter's face. She was a good half-foot shorter than him, even with her heeled boots. He was handsome in an unassuming manner and after a moment of deliberation, she decided that she liked it. "By the way, my name is Gwen. Gwen Stacy. This is my first day at ESU."

"Peter Parker." He peered down at her but this time he didn't smile. "It's nice to meet you, Gwen." He turned and opened the classroom door for her, goosebumps running down his spine.

_The police chief's daughter. The_ _ **only**_ _man in New York City who hates you more than J. Jameson... and his daughter ends up in_ _ **your**_ _physics class_. Peter walked into the classroom after Gwen then swallowed hard. The laboratory was at maximum capacity with only one seat left. Right next to Gwen Stacy. _It's a good thing you aren't a betting man, Parker, because your luck is about as good as-_

"Welcome class!" The professor stood at the front of the laboratory, smiling. "I'm Professor Connors. If you would, please introduce yourself to the person sitting beside you. That person will be your lab partner for the remainder of the semester."

Peter bit down on his lip to keep himself from groaning out loud.

"We meet again." Gwen taunted playfully as she reached over to shake Peter's hand. "You must have some awfully good luck, Parker."

With hardly any life to it, Peter shook her hand then mumbled under his breath, "Yeah, why's that?"

"Because I'm a wiz-kid at physics."

Peter laughed hard and loud at Gwen's proclamation. She was so sure of herself within the classroom; not at all like the lost little girl wandering the hallways he had just shepherded to the classroom. After Gwen had turned in her seat and was deeply immersed in Professor Connor's lecture, Peter took a good look at her from the corner of his peripheral.

_Maybe, just maybe, your bad luck has run out, Parker._ He turned his gaze upon the professor then leaned back in his seat. _Maybe..._


	7. The Kingpin

"You better get home soon. I'm looking out the living room window at a huge black cloud."

"Aww," I cradled my cell phone between my shoulder and ear as I reached into my wallet for my debit card. "Is Mama Gwen worried?"

"Ha ha, not funny MJ." I could almost see Gwen's dour face as she spoke through the phone, "I just don't want to hear you whining about your soggy groceries when you get home."

I paid the cashier then hoisted the paper bag of groceries onto my hip. "I'm looking at nothing but baby blue skies over this way, Gwendy. How was your first day of class?" I walked out of the grocery store and immediately noticed the eery calm that had settled down upon the city, the kind of calm that lays over the city before a torrential downpour. "Okay, so maybe there's a _little_ storm brewing..."

"Yup." Gwen replied with that 'I'm not going to say I told you so but... I told you so' tone in her voice. "l'll tell you about class when you get here. I'll be waiting outside the apartment with an umbrella. Hurry up and you might be able to miss it."

We hung up and I peered up into the blue sky. Hidden behind the peaks of skyscrapers, an inky black cloud was beginning to blow over the sun. I was only a five minute walk from the apartment and so, I decided to speed-walk myself home rather than pay $20 for a cab.

There was no one on the sidewalks. I furrowed my brow, looking around me. Where had everyone gone? It was so unlike the city to be _this_ calm in the middle of the day.

"I guess everyone else got the memo about rain today..." I began to walk more quickly, picking my foot back up as soon as it brushed the boiling-hot sidewalk. Far ahead of me, I saw two men look my way then dart into an alleyway. My walk slowed to a halt.

"What the-" I narrowed my eyes. Something wasn't right. The street was too uncharacteristically quiet. I began to feel my skin ripple into goosebumps as my subconscious urged me to turn around and run the other way. Find safety. Get away from here, although nothing on the surface seemed wrong.

"Pick up the pace, princess." I crossed the street to walk on the sidewalk furthest from the two mystery men in the alley.

I'm walking fast and I'm frightened, too frightened to glance down the streets and alleyways as I pass them. I want to be home, tucked in my bed, safe from the storm and this eery feeling I can't seem to shake. An apple rolls out of the grocery bag balanced haphazardly on my hip but I don't stop to pick it up. I'm less than six blocks away from home. I can make it - I can make it if I don't stop.

From my peripheral, I see the two men emerge from the alleyway across the street. They're running towards me. I begin to run but I don't even make it past another street before I feel hands on my waist, yanking me into an alley.

The black storm cloud rolls over and I'm swathed in total darkness. I'm screaming, struggling against an unknown number of assailants. My first scream echoes on into oblivion, the heavy clouds reverberating my cry through the empty street; my subsequent screams are drowned out by the loud claps of thunder.

I've dropped my bag of groceries and I'm swinging my arms; clawing, scratching and punching at everything within arm's length of me. A bolt of lightning, iridescent and blinding, illuminates the alleyway. Four men dressed in black, surrounding me, reaching for me.

"Enough!" One of the men screams as they all struggle to grab hold of me. He grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me into the wall of the alley. I have enough wits about me to catch myself before my face can crack against the brick. I turn again to face them, back pressed against the wall. It's raining now and I can hear the wind howling through the brick passageway. I can't see the men, only their shadowy outlines.

"Call Fisk. Tell them we have her." The same man speaks then moves forward to grab me. Before he can grip my arm, a figure drops from the sky and lands in between us.

"Come on, guys," The figure speaks, his voice lilting in merriment. "It ain't a party without the Spider!"

I hear a familiar "thwip" sound and then utter chaos breaks loose. I'm too disoriented to understand what is going on. The only thing I know is this: The thugs are preoccupied with the figure and this is my chance to get away. I stumble from the alleyway, slipping against the wet pavement as I flee. The heavens have broken open and the world is dark. I fight the wind and pelting rain. I hear men screaming behind me but I don't know if the screams are in triumph or pain.

I want to run to my apartment but I can't lead the assailants there. Gwen is there.

I run until my lungs begin to burn and then I run some more. I turn down one street, then another, and then another. The rain is beginning to let up but the dark clouds and wind remain. Finally, I let myself collapse behind an empty dumpster in the corner of an alley far from the grocery store.

I sit in silence, praying that the men haven't followed me. From the mouth of the alleyway, I can hear muffled footsteps. I hold my breath.

They've found me.

I'm trapped with nowhere to run or hide.

Just as it was with the Rhino, I refused to feel like a cornered rat. I jumped to my feet and blindly ran at the thugs, my voice carrying on like a wild Banshee woman.

"Mary Jane!" Someone's arms were around me. I was so frightened that I barely heard my name. I thought to myself, if I was going to die, someone was going to come with me and I continued to fight against the assailant, screaming louder as I wailed against their solid body. "Mary Jane!"

The assailant gripped my shoulders and held me at arm's length. "Look at me, Mary Jane! I'm your friend. I'm not going to hurt you, I swear!"

I slowed my reign of punches as I realized who was holding me. My arms went limp at my sides, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"SPIDER-MAN!"

* * *

"Having all the fun without me, eh?" Had there not been a mask covering his face, surely I would have seen a giant grin upon Spider-Man's face.

"Where have you been?" I found nothing funny about the current situation. Angrily I shrugged his grip from my shoulders. "You've been gone for seven _months_! I thought-" I suddenly choked on the words, "I thought you were dead!"

Spider-Man raised his hands, palms up to mime his innocence, then dropped them again and stood deathly still, at a loss for words.

"I was in a coma, Spider-Man." The tears I had felt clinging to my bottom lashes were sucked back in as anger replaced any sense of sorrow I might have felt. "Yeah, you saved me... but when I woke up everyone told me _you_ had died in saving me. I thought I had killed you!... Do you know what that kind of guilt feels like?"

He said nothing. Simply stood there in silence.

"Say something!" I poked him hard in the chest. "Say something!" Again, I poked him harder. His torso shook with each blow but he remained mute. "Gah! Infuriating!" I sighed in exasperation, throwing my hands into the air.

"I know." His voice was deep, ominous.

"You know what?" I threw the words at him like venom.

"I know you were in a coma." He paused then spit out this words as though he was uncertain he should say them. "I came and checked on you often."

I was stunned. I blinked, unable to find the right words to reply.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." He wagged his index finger at me, anger icing his words. "It's not fun being Spider-Man. It's not fun watching the people around you die. I wanted out."

"Wh-what?"

He shook his head, painfully aware of the truths that were spilling from him like vomit. "Those men who attacked you- they're dangerous. They weren't your average street thugs. Where they came from, there's a lot more just like them."

"Webhead," I spoke softly, apologetically, "You're changing the subject."

"Listen, this is important." He sighed and laced his fingertips atop his head. As he put his words together he began to pace the alleyway. "They're after you."

"...come again?" Incredulity seeped through my tone.

"Those were Wilson Fisk's men." He didn't look at me, instead choosing to stare down at the pavement as he paced.

"Who is that?" I was suddenly feeling nauseous.

"Haven't you been watching the news?" He stopped pacing and turned to look at me.

"Uh, no. Why would I need to do that?"

He shook his head, "The Kingpin. I've been keeping a close eye on him for the past couple of months. He was just a pest before... I let him slide under my radar. I just wanted to be done with the mask... and I figured the police could handle him... but lately, he's dropped off the map. He's planning something... something big..."

"Spider-Man," I took a step closer to him, "What does the Kingpin want with me?"

"...he's going to use you as bait to get to me..."


	8. What If Tomorrow Never Comes?

He knew that our conversation was over.

"Let's get you home." Spider-Man took a step towards me and looped his arm around my waist. "Where to?"

I was stunned beyond comprehension, unable to utter any sort of reply. He gripped me tight but I could hardly even lift my arms to hold on to him as he shot out a web and lifted us high into the air.

_The Kingpin is going to use me as bait..._ The burst of wind to my face awoke my thoughts.

My voice was hollow as I spoke, "673 Spring Street."

We swung through the city, arcing high above the buildings and dipping low into the streets. Each drop brought my stomach lurching higher into my throat. I leaned my head gently against his shoulder, my red hair whipping wildly around us as we soared through the city.

He took the long route, carefully choosing the quieter residential streets rather than the busier streets leading to Empire State University. Swinging through the city was a breathtaking experience and had the circumstances been different, I might have enjoyed it. Instead, I kept my head down and closed my eyes to the city rushing past me.

I couldn't help but feel guilt creeping into my chest, gripping tight and squeezing the air from my lungs. This was _my_ fault. If I hadn't let curiosity get the better of me, I never would have forced Peter into taking me to see the Rhino. If I had never seen the Rhino, Spider-Man wouldn't have had to save me. And if Spider-Man hadn't saved me, news stations wouldn't have televised the rescue over every New York news station... Spider-Man would have been able to retire the mask and the Kingpin wouldn't have found a way to try and lure him out of hiding.

My thoughts spun wildly until I was dizzy with them. We arched into the sky higher than before. He held me tight with both hands, bracing our fall as we landed softly on the rooftop of my apartment building. We stood by the ledge, neither making the first move to step away; I kept my head gently pressed against his shoulder and he kept both hands firmly placed on my waist.

He dropped his hands and I took that as my cue to step away from him.

He cleared his throat, "I don't want you to be afraid, Mary Jane."

"I'm not." I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling very cold. In the distance the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden-yellow light across the city.

"...But I also want you to realize how dangerous the Kingpin is. The Kingpin's men are everywhere. They're more dangerous than guys like Rhino because they look like normal people. They might not always be dressed in black. They could be your mailman or your taxi cab driver or even your neighbor... They could be _anyone,_ Mary Jane." He was rambling, his words rushed into a feverish pitch, "I have to get this figured out before they can find you again." He paused, steadying his nerves and slowing his words, "They're going to be looking for me so I have to take special care to stay away from you. You're safer away from me but that also means if they get under my radar, I might not be close enough to you to know that you need saving."

Suddenly indignant, I turned away from him and stared off towards the setting sun. "I don't need 'saving.'" Even I knew how ridiculous that sounded. Twice now he had saved me and yet here I was telling him that I, in fact, did _not_ need his help.

He stood behind me and for a moment was quiet.

"I understand that but..." He pushed a breath of air through pursed lips, "Gah-... Why is it so hard talking to you?" I felt the corners of my mouth beginning to turn up. Although he couldn't see my face I quickly turned them back down, again assuming a look of stone cold seriousness. "Just do me a favor and lay low for a while... Just until I figure out what I'm going to do about him. Deal?"

"Why are you so worried about me anyways?" I turned to face him. The blazing sunset illuminated the scene around us in the most vibrant shades of gold. He stood in stark contrast in the middle of it; red and blue amongst the yellows and golds. He mirrored my stance, crossing his arms over his abdomen. "You could've let me fall from that building. You didn't have to stop Kingpin's men. You could've just stayed in hiding."

"No. I couldn't have." Any trace of merriment was long gone from his voice. "I learned a long time ago that if you have the power to stop bad men from doing evil things, then it's your responsibility to at least try."

He began to walk towards the ledge and I could sense that our time was almost up.

"One more thing," I called out and he stopped, one foot already on top of the cement ledge. "I never told you my name... so, how do you know it?"

He froze.

"I-, uhh," He brought his other foot onto the ledge and stood tall, the wind whipping past him. I stared at his back as he continued to speak, "I overhead Peter calling your name the day Rhino attacked the city."

"Peter?" I furrowed my brows, suddenly irate, "Peter left me there as soon as he saw how dangerous it was. He's a **coward**."

Was it just the wind or had I heard Spider-Man chuckle softly at my words?

"Being brave doesn't mean running blindly into danger. But then again, maybe you're right." Spider-Man raised his arm and a thick line of webbing shot out and attached itself to a building across the street. "Maybe he is a coward." Before I could reply, he stepped off the ledge and disappeared into the setting sun.

* * *

"Where have you been!" Gwen dropped the phone from her ear, her eyes wide as I burst through our apartment door. She brought the phone back to her ear, "No, it's okay, daddy. MJ just walked in. Thank you. I love you too."

I was sopping wet. I simply stood in front of the closed door, unsure of my next move. Gwen sprang into action, tossing the phone onto the couch while simultaneously moving towards the kitchen to grab a kitchen towel.

"You've been gone for almost two hours, MJ!" She grabbed the towel and brought it to me. Like a mother, she began to dry me off. "Where have you been? I was so worried about you!"

"I," The image of Spider-Man and I embraced on the rooftop just moments before sprang to my mind. Gwen was my best friend but she was first and foremost the police chief's daughter. Captain Stacy despised Spider-Man; choosing to view him as a nuisance vigilante rather than a hero. If he knew Spider-Man was back, Spider-Man would have not only the Kingpin to worry about but NYPD as well. "I was with my boyfriend."

Gwen had been dabbing the water from my jeans when my bold-faced lie sprung from my mouth. She immediately perked up, eyes wide again.

"Huh? Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

My pride stung but I tried my best to hide it. "I-... I met him at the casting today." It was like a snowball effect; more lies sprouting from the previous one before it.

"Oh," Something on Gwen's face told me that she sensed my wounded pride. "Well, you'll have to bring him over sometime so I can meet him!" She changed tactics. Although I wasn't the best actress in the world, Gwen was far worse than me and I could tell she still didn't believe me. Regardless of whether she believed my lie or not, she no longer questioned where I had been and thus, the lie served its purpose.

"I will." I gently took the towel from her hand, forcing as cheerful a smile as I could. "Well, hey, I'd love to hear about your first day at ESU but I'm pretty beat. Let's talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah, no problem." Gwen walked to the kitchen table and nodded towards a stack of books. "I've got a lot of studying to do anyways."

I walked to my bedroom; if it could even be called a bedroom. With only a mattress, a clothing rack and a few boxes, the small room hardly qualified as a bedroom but it had one redeeming factor: a window that opened to a fire escape overlooking the street below. Out of all the places in the city, sitting on that fire escape was my favorite.

I stepped onto my bare mattress and hoisted myself out of the window and onto the metal fire escape, sticking my arm back into the window to fish for my pillow. Finding the pillow, I tossed it onto the metal grating then laid back, staring through the grating at the black starless sky.

I was never one for making plans, choosing instead to fly by the seat of my pants through life. If something didn't get done today, there was always tomorrow, or the next day or the next day after that. I never questioned the future because I always assumed that it was a guarantee; tomorrow would always be there. I figured I would start worrying about the future when I got old. Even when the Rhino had me at death's doorstep, it never truly dawned on me that I could, just like every other person on this planet, **_die_**.

Tonight, however, I realized just how fragile "tomorrow" actually is. Tomorrow I may still be alive but what about the tomorrow after that? Even if I made it through life unscathed, eventually there would be a tomorrow that I would never get to see.

I listened to sirens far off in the distance.

Someone's tomorrow could be ending tonight.

...and If I didn't play my cards right, the Kingpin could very well end my tomorrow's much sooner than I had anticipated.


	9. A Betting Man

Two weeks passed uneventfully. Mary Jane began to feel as though perhaps she had only dreamt of Spider-Man's return. Once again, she began to watch the news, feasting on every syllable the news anchors spoke but still: no word of Spider-Man or the Kingpin.

Life continued. Mary Jane was able to land a small role in a play at a rundown theater while still juggling her class schedule at Empire State University. Gwen's schedule remained the same: school and study, rinse and repeat. The fall dragged on, balmy and unseasonably warm.

And then one morning, like the slightest stirring beneath a placid lake, a ripple was created; a ripple whose effects would be felt until the end of time.

"You better get a move on if you don't want to be late to class, Sleeping Beauty!"

Gwen smiled behind Mary Jane's closed door. She was replied with a muffled groan and the subsequent clattering of unknown objects hastily tossed around the room as Mary Jane finally shook herself from a deep sleep. Gwen let her believe she was going to be late to class because she knew that was the only way to get MJ to class on time.

Her complete opposite, Gwen had already showered and dressed, made breakfast for the both of them, ate her portion of said breakfast and was gathering her books from the kitchen table when Mary Jane came skidding out of her bedroom, shirt on backwards.

"What time is it!" The red-haired cyclone spoke breathlessly, eyes wide in panic.

Before Gwen replied, she carefully guided her friend to the kitchen table and forced her to sit.

"It's only 8:00. Your shirt is on backwards." She handed Mary Jane a fork and knife, "Bon appetit."

"Wha-" Mary Jane's pouted as she yanked her shirt off and put it back on the correct way, "I still have an hour! I could've slept-" The sight of oatmeal and sunny-side up eggs caused Mary Jane's words to trail off. "Ooh!" She squealed in delight, "Breakfast for _me_?!"

Gwen smiled as she sipped her coffee. She sat down in the chair opposite to her friend and began to absentmindedly rifle through her book. After a moment of silence, she spoke. "So, in my Chem class I have a lab partner."

In between mouthfuls, Mary Jane laughed, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how dweeby is he?"

"Well, actually..." Gwen smiled as she recalled the tall brown-haired boy from her class. There was something about him that seemed dangerous to her, not at all like the usual boys she found in her advanced chemistry classes. It had been two weeks and she still couldn't figure him out. He was different and that difference intrigued her. "He's not dweeby at all. He's pretty cute, really."

"Cute and smart?" Mary Jane's eyes lit up. "You hit the jackpot this time, Gwendy. You gonna bring him home so I can give you both my blessings?"

Gwen nodded, laughing at Mary Jane's ever-theatrical nature. "We have a quiz next week. I'm going to see if he wants to study with me this afternoon. We may come back here to study." She shrugged her shoulders, "Or we may go to a coffee shop and study. Who knows." She glanced at the time on her wristwatch, "Oh, shoot! I better get going. My class is halfway across campus."

Gathering her books, she made her way to the front door of their apartment.

"One more thing!" Mary Jane's tone lowered to a sultry level, "Just remember that a tie around the doorknob means 'the apartment's a-rockin so don't come a-knockin'!" Mary Jane pressed her lips together and made the most obnoxious kissing sounds that she could muster up. Gwen's jaw immediately dropped at her brash comment causing her to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Where do you come up with this stuff, MJ!" Gwen shook her head, chucking a balled up piece of paper at her friend's head. As she shut the front door behind her, Gwen couldn't help but laugh at the comment as well.

* * *

Peter was always quiet but today he seemed even more quiet than usual. In fact, today he seemed downright run down. Gwen watched him from the corner of her eye as he stared vacantly at Professor Connors, his eyes hollow and bloodshot. He sat with his elbow on the desk, cheek cradled in his palm. Thirty minutes into the lecture, Gwen saw his eyes flutter shut and his head begin to bob with the throes of sleep. She gently nudged him with her elbow before the professor, a man who loved to make an example out of students who fell asleep in his class, could notice. He immediately perked up, clearing his throat, but within moments his eyes were fluttering shut again.

Peter was able to make it through the entire class without the professor taking any notice of him. As the students shuffled hastily from the room, Gwen took her time gathering her books. Peter was slow moving and so, their paces matched perfectly.

"Heya, party animal." Gwen smiled up at Peter as the two began to move towards the door.

Peter chuckled at the thought of him as a party animal. Delusional from lack of sleep, he imagined himself sitting down with the Kingpin at a bar. He was dressed as Spider-Man and the Kingpin was dressed as usual, his bloated body stuffed like a sausage into his expensive white pant-suit, bulbuous purple lips curled around a smoking cigar. As his daydream continued, Spider-Man and the Kingpin clinked their beer mugs together in a toast, both laughing uproariously at some private joke. Peter shook his head to clear his mind of the disturbing image. "Not quite."

"You probably missed today's notes, huh?" When he groaned in reply, she laughed. "In that case, would you like to study for the quiz at my place later?"

Gwen felt her palms beginning to sweat, the heavy books in her grasp becoming slippery.

"Uh, I didn't even know there was a quiz." Peter stalled. _'I should be tracking the Kingpin and his men...'_ Peter's sense of responsibility was unfaltering but here was a beautiful girl walking beside him, inviting him into her home. He looked down at her, her nervous expression unmasked and pure _. 'Live a little, Pete. Mary Jane will be okay without me watching over Kingpin's men if it's just for one night...'_

"Yeah, sure. That sounds great."

Gwen's nervous expression broke into an expression of surprised joy, "Okay!" She reigned in her excitement, cheeks blazing red. "I'll write down my address for you. It isn't far from here. Actually, if you wanted, you could even walk there from here." The two stopped walking so Gwen could pull a pen from her purse and write her address down on a piece of notebook paper. She folded the paper then handed it to Peter, her sky-blue eyes sparkling.

"Okay, well I'll expect you around six." She cradled her books against her chest, walking backwards from him as she spoke, "Don't worry about bringing your notes with you. I'm a great note-taker!"

Peter nodded, "Six it is."

Gwen waved one final time then turned on her heels and walked away from him, an extra bounce in her step. Once she had walked some distance from him, he glanced down at the folded piece of paper in his hand. He unfolded it and read the address aloud,

"673 Spring Street..."

He glanced back up at Gwen's retreating figure.

_'Why does that address sound so familiar?'_

* * *

6:00 rolled around and Gwen paced the living room nervously. The apartment she shared with Mary Jane was small and sparsely furnished. Walking into the apartment, one would first see the small kitchen table and the kitchen to the left. Past the kitchen table and into the living room, they had just enough room for two mismatched loveseats and a coffee table that sat catty corner to a decently sized television sitting atop a console. It wasn't much but she had spent the last hour tidying and re-tidying the entire apartment. Her books and notes sat opened on the coffee table.

6:15 rolled around and Peter still wasn't here.

6:23 rolled around and still, no Peter. Gwen's stomach begins to rumble so she orders pizza. She sits on the couch and begins to study as a final attempt to keep her mind off the time.

6:25 and her intercom buzzes. She jumps up and sprints to it.

"Hello?" She holds down the button and speaks into the speaker.

"Hey, Gwen?" It's Peter's voice. He sounds very unsure of himself.

"Hey, Peter! I'll come down and let you in." Gwen did as she said she would and after cordial greetings, the two rode the elevator back up to her sixth floor apartment in relative silence. Gwen was the first to speak. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

"Not at all," Strangely, Peter kept his eyes locked on the closed elevator doors. Of course he hadn't had any trouble finding the apartment building. He had been here before, two weeks ago. Only last time, he had seen the building from the rooftop and not from the street. "Easy-peezy." His voice was hollow and Gwen could tell that he was deep in thought. She glanced sideways and noticed the deep crease between his brows.

"What?" He noticed her curious look. She shook her head, glance retreating back to the closed elevator doors. Just in time, the doors opened and the two exited onto a small loft. There were three apartments on this floor. Gwen walked to the apartment door to the right. She unlocked the door and they walked in.

"I hope you're hungry." She walked to the living room and sat down in front of her opened books. "I ordered pizza. It should be here soon."

Peter closed the front door behind him, scanning the apartment.

_'Calm down, Parker. If Mary Jane is a student at ESU, it makes sense that she would live in this building too. There's at least fourteen different floors here. She could be in any apartment.'_

"Great. I'm starving." He came to sit down on the couch perpendicular to Gwen, his back to the front door. He leaned over the coffee table to glance at her notes, neatly written and color coded. "Yikes. I hardly even remember Connors mentioning this stuff."

Gwen smiled easily then flipped to the first page of notes. "Alright- let's start from the beginning."

* * *

_**Mary Jane** _

After a full day of classes, I still had rehearsal at a rinky-dink theater across town. Normally we're out of rehearsal well before the sun sets but tonight we all lost track of time. We were a motley crew of actors, some young and some old, some sane and some not so sane. Despite our many differences, we all had a genuine love for acting and sometimes it was like a whirlwind, sweeping us up and forcing us to think of nothing but the masks we put on. That's what I loved about acting: moreso than anything else I've found, acting has a way of making you forget who you are and with it, you forget your troubles as well. You become a different person.

Anthony, a cast mate not much older than me, offered to walk me to the subway station but I insisted that I was alright to walk alone. The subway station was only two blocks from the theater and despite it being nighttime in a seedy part of town, I wasn't afraid; I was still high on the fumes of a successful rehearsal.

The subway was empty, minus one bum who sat huddled and sleeping under a blanket of newspapers in the far corner of the subway car. I reviewed my lines, all twenty of them, as the subway car traveled closer to my part of town.

I got off the subway at my stop, only a few blocks from my apartment. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that the bum had shaken off the newspapers and was also getting off at my stop. I sped up my step to put distance between us and when he veered to the left while I went right, I slowed my step back down.

The walk to my apartment was a quiet one and again, I began to question whether the incident with Kingpin's men had been just a nightmare.

"Honey," I swung open the front door of my apartment, "I'm home!" I shrugged my bookbag from my shoulder and let it drop to the hardwood floor. I looked up, slapping my hands against my mouth. "Oh, sorry, Gwen! I totally forgot about your study date."

* * *

_**Peter Parker** _

My skin began to prickle into gooseflesh as my Spider-senses went haywire far before I even heard the sound of someone's key slipping into the lock of Gwen's front door. I tried my best to ignore the jolt of electricity running up and down my spine so I could follow Gwen's words as she reviewed some of Professor Connors notes. I knew it was unwise to ignore the tingling that urged my body to action but I was unsure of why they were sounding off the alarm. There was nothing out of the ordinary going on here.

I heard the key slip into the lock at Gwen's front door and I glanced up at her, the look of confusion upon my face prompting her explanation.

"Oh, don't worry." She smiled before looking back down at the notes splayed across the coffee table between us, "It's just my roommate."

I heard a familiar voice call from behind us, "Honey, I'm home!" and then the sound of something heavy thudding against the apartment floor. The girl apologized for interrupting our "study date" and I saw Gwen grimace. I felt the corner of my mouth curl up into a smirk. I didn't turn around, still trying to place the melodious voice I felt that I knew so well.

"Mary Jane," Gwen spoke as she gestured to the woman behind me. I felt my blood freeze within my veins. "This is my lab partner, Peter."

_Of all the apartments in the entire city... of all the girls in the entire city..._

I steeled my nerves, preparing myself for the worst. I inhaled one more time before turning around and looking at the woman I knew would be standing there.

Sure enough, standing there in all of her surprised and angry glory was the red-haired woman I had loved since before I even knew what love was.

"Mary Jane Watson," I tried my best to smile but undoubtedly, I failed. "Nice to meet you again."

* * *

_**Mary Jane** _

I stared at the back of Gwen's date's head; brown hair, broad shoulders, fairly tall. I pointed to him, mouthing the words, "Is that him?"

"Mary Jane," Gwen ignored my game of charades and gestured to me. I dropped my hand to my hip, smirking, "This is my lab partner, Peter."

Slowly, the color began to drain from my face.

_No way. It couldn't be_ _**that** _ _Peter._

The brown-haired man slowly turned in his seat to face me. My eyes opened wide and it took every fiber of my being to keep myself from gasping out loud. Instead, I bit down on my lip and inhaled sharply.

"Mary Jane Watson," His voice was cold but his face was colder. "Nice to meet you again."

Was he being sarcastic? Was this some sort of hilarious joke to him? I glared at him for only a moment, not long enough for Gwen to sense the animosity oozing from my pores.

"Peter Parker," I nodded in his direction, the smirk still glued to my face. I had a quick and vicious retort poised on the tip of my tongue but before I could speak, the intercom behind me began to buzz. Gwen jumped from her seat calling out cheerfully something about pizza. I kept my eyes on Peter, unable to tear my gaze from his.

"I'll be right down!" Gwen spoke into the intercom then turned back to us, none the wiser to the tense interaction transpiring before her. "You two will have to explain how you guys know each other but first, I'm going to grab the pizza. I'll be back in a second."

And with that, Gwen rushed out of the apartment.

Peter was the first to speak, standing from the sofa and facing me. "Why were you out in the dark by yourself?"

I nearly choked on the laugh that bubbled from my throat. "Excuse me?" I laughed again, my incredulous laughter dangerously treading the line of insane cackles. "That's funny, last I checked you didn't give two shits about me."

"That's not true." He spoke plainly, his voice completely void of emotion.

I stalked towards him, my footsteps heavy against the wood floor.

"Look here, Peter Parker," I spat my words at him, wagging my index finger in his face, "You got lucky this time. For whatever reason, I'm fairly certain that you make Gwen happy. You're the first guy I've heard her talk about since-... since I don't even know when!" I rolled my eyes in disgust, "And because she's my best friend, I want her to continue to be happy. I'm not going to tell her how big of a coward you are but if some mutant super-villain attacks the city, you better not leave her behind or so help me God-"

"Simmer down, Watson," Peter visibly bristled at my words, "I wouldn't leave Gwen anywhere."

Now it was my turn to bristle. I rocked back onto my heels, mouth slammed shut.

_But you would leave me_? It was immature and selfish, I know, but his words stung. It was then that I decided I truly did not like Peter Parker.

"Goodnight, Peter." I turned on my heels and more theatrically than I would have liked, slammed my bedroom door behind me.

* * *

_**Peter Parker** _

I watched as Mary Jane turned on her heels, the tips of her long crimson hair whipping my face. She crossed the living room and retreated into another room, slamming the door behind her.

_It's a good thing you aren't a betting man, Parker._


	10. Shriek - A shrill, often frantic cry.

Life was blessedly Peter-free for four days. Four days free of sarcastic quips and tip-toeing around Gwen so she didn't catch wind of my absolute disdain for her new lab partner. Speaking of Gwen, she never had the chance to ask me how I knew Peter. From that night on, I stayed away from the apartment as much as I could, wanting to avoid any more situations that could put me (or her) in a bad spot.

On the fourth day, a Saturday, I came home from the first half of rehearsal to an empty apartment. It was a beautiful day; slight breeze, mid-70's and not a cloud in the sky. Without a second thought, I changed into a bikini I hadn't worn in months - and also silently celebrated the fact that it still fit perfectly. I threw on a pair of cut off shorts, slipped my feet into a pair of sandals then grabbed a towel, headphones and iPod and made my way to the rooftop. I laid the towel down, put the headphones in and let the world escape me.

An hour later, when I felt my fair skin beginning to burn, I gathered my stuff and made my way back inside. In the elevator, I bobbed my head to my favorite song, pausing only to turn the volume up to an obscene -and undoubtedly harmful- level.

"Ooooo," I held my fist to my mouth like a microphone and sang to my reflection in the stainless steel elevator doors, "She grew up in an Indiana town, had a good lookin' mama who never was arrrround," I paused to let Tom Petty sing a line I had momentarily forgotten. While his southern twang cooed into my ear, I spun around in the elevator car. Perhaps it was the obnoxious level at which I was listening to the song (or perhaps it was because I was too engrossed in my Miley Cyrus-esque dance routine) but I didn't feel the elevator stop moving, nor did I hear the ding of the elevator doors as they opened onto my floor.

I spun around and gasped in horror. I was staring up into the last face I ever wanted to see.

Peter stood with one arm crossed over his stomach, his other elbow propped against it, chin resting in his palm. He watched me with a look of pure, devilish amusement, cocking his head to the side in comical puzzlement. I was too stunned to push him out of the way. I yanked the earbuds from my ears and stared angrily into his face.

"What are _you_ looking at?"

He chuckled then nodded towards me, "Carry on, Watson. Don't let us stop you."

I shoved past him and nearly barreled into a man standing directly behind him. "Man" does not justify this creature... Adonis would be more fitting. I dropped my towel and iPod to the floor as I collided into his solid body. I let them stay where they fell, unaware of anything except for the dark eyes staring down at me. His full lips curled into a crooked grin as he steadied me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," He laughed a laugh that stretched up towards his eyes and revealed shallow dimples on either side of his luscious mouth. "Who do we have here?"

Something happened then that's never happened to me before.

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.

I was literally rendered **_speechless_**.

"Harry," Peter spoke, his tone void of any of the amusement I had just witnessed moments before. "Let's go."

Harry kneeled down and picked up my towel and iPod, taking a second to look at the iPod's screen. He stood and his beautiful face crumpled for a moment before he looked back at me.

"Your iPod's broken."

"Oh," I took the towel and iPod from his hands, hardly glancing at the broken iPod; hardly caring that it was even broken. "That's okay. I've been meaning to get a new one anyways."

"Harry-" Peter called him again, his tone growing more irate. This time, Harry took a step towards him but he kept his gaze locked on me.

"Bye, Red." Again, he smiled that beautiful crooked smile of his and I felt my heart stop for a moment. He stepped into the elevator and Peter immediately punched the button to close the doors. Peter leaned against the corner of the elevator car, eyes downcast to his tennis shoes, while Harry stood in the middle of the car, arms folded loosely across his stomach, his gaze fixed on me even as the doors began to close.

* * *

"Oh, my, _gosh_!" I burst into our apartment, tossing my towel and broken iPod onto the kitchen table. "GWEN!" Gwen had been nestled into the corner of the couch, face buried in a textbook and when I called her name, she smiled at me from over the top of the book.

"Who was _that_?!" I breathed my words as I slid onto the couch next to her.

She laughed and shook her head as she closed the book. " _That_ would be Peter's best friend, Harry Osborne."

"Osborne?" I furrowed my brows, trying to recall how I knew that name.

"Oscorp?" She offered, either reading my mind or reading the puzzled expression upon my face.

My face crumpled, "As in... Oscorp Technologies?"

She nodded emphatically, trying to muster my excitement back up. "Yes!"

"Ugh," I felt the last bit of excitement drain from my limbs. Of course I knew who Harry Osborne was. There was an article about him in nearly every tabloid in New York each month. I stood from the couch and walked to the kitchen.

"What's wrong with that?" Gwen laughed, "Oscorp is a great organization. They've been the leader in scientific research for the past ten years."

I poked my head into the fridge, more for the refreshing cool air against my sunburnt skin than to satisfy my hunger.

I grabbed a water bottle then pulled my head from the fridge. "Whether Oscorp is a great organization or not, I'm not going to have my name affiliated with someone who was seen romping around town with the likes of Lindsay Lohan."

While I didn't say it out loud, the fact that Harry's family undoubtedly had more money than the president made me more uneasy about him than his weekend-long tryst with a former celebrity. I could just see the tabloids now: THE PRINCE AND HIS PAUPER.

Gwen didn't see through my half-lie and nodded.

"You know, I thought about that too." She spoke like a caring mother, nodding her head as she continued, "I figured he'd fall for you but I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing."

I took a deep swing from the water bottle before replying, pointing the tip of the water bottle at her as I spoke, "On to the next one, my dear Gwen."

* * *

The second half of the rehearsal started again at five. Like I did with each rehearsal, I threw my entire self into the role. It was such a small role and yet, when the spotlight shined down on me as I stood on stage, I gave it everything I had. When I walked off stage, I watched every actor from behind the curtains and made mental notes on every action and every mannerism I liked, and also which ones I didn't like. It didn't matter that I only stood on that stage for thirty minutes and the play was nearly two hours long - I watched every bit of it, every rehearsal, and willed myself to become a better actress.

The rehearsal ended an hour past sunset and once again, Anthony offered to walk me to the subway station but I declined his offer. I walked the short distance from the theater to the subway station and boarded the train. This time around, I wasn't alone. Two men in their thirties and a slender woman around my age followed me into the train. All three of them were noticeably drunk, the woman hanging from one man's arm to the next. They laughed at some private joke but kept to themselves. I sat in a seat beside the door, crossing my legs Indian-style in the seat. As the train began to travel towards my part of town, I began to pick at wisps of stuffing coming out of large tears in the seat cushion.

It was only a fifteen minute ride but the drunk laughter had begun to grate on my nerves so when the train came to a halt and the doors rolled open, I nearly sprinted out of the subway train. I exited the station onto the street, leaving the sound of laughter echoing from the tunnel far behind me.

As I rounded the corner leading to my apartment building, I noticed three figures across the street from my building. I walked down the street, only a couple hundred feet from the entrance of my apartment. I stared across the street and when I walked closer, I realized it was the trio from the subway. They weren't laughing. Rather, they stared at me as I walked across the street from them, deathly still. The woman stood in between the men and when our eyes locked, she took a step closer to the street. I stopped walking, frozen for a moment.

The woman took another step towards the street but one of the men grabbed her arm. With an angry vengeance, she wrenched it free and began to run towards me.

Time seemed to slow down. I watched as she ran towards me, her pale face contorting as she shrieked loud enough to shake my inner ear. I grimaced in pain, holding my hands over my ears. Her black hair caught the wind and rose like Medusa's venomous locks. Before I turned my head, I swore even her hands had lit up with a crackling and sparking energy.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, mobilizing my limbs once again. I sprinted towards my apartment, simultaneously fishing the keys from my pocket. I fumbled with the lock. I cursed myself and the landlord for not fixing the light hanging in the entryway. I heard the woman's heavy footsteps against the asphalt.

I finally got the key into the lock and turned it, opened the door, rushed inside then immediately closed it again. I dead-bolted the door and took two giant leaps back from it, breath ragged, chest heaving. When I didn't hear anything from behind the door, I lunged at it and peered out of the peephole.

Nothing.

Had this been the Kingpen's men? ...Or someone entirely new?


	11. Nightmare: "Originating from European myth and legend, 'night mare' is a middle English word denoting a female demon or spirit that afflicts sleeping people."

**Chapter 11:**

**Nightmare: "** O _riginating from European myth and legend, 'night mare' is a middle English word denoting a female demon or spirit that afflicts sleeping people."_

* * *

"Mary Jane,"

It was a faint whisper echoing through the darkness. I was in a dark room void of any sort of light. I blindly felt through the darkness, trying to feel anything around me but finding nothing.

"Mary Jane,"

The whispers were growing strength.

"Mary Jane," It was a woman's voice. She hissed my name angrily, "What are you afraid of, little girl?"

The question prompted immediate action by my brain; thoughts of my father filling my mind. I tried to clear my head, willing the images to vanish but my subconscious refused to listen. The faint images grew stronger, appearing before me like holograms illuminating the darkness.

A dining room: modest but tipping towards the side of upper-class. A family sits at the table, eating quietly with just the tinkling of silverware against porcelain drifting through the silence. At the head of the table is a man in his early thirties. At the opposite end of the table, a beautiful blonde woman in her late twenties. The image before me is eerily familiar and I struggle to place these people in my memory but I'm unable to. The hologram becomes clearer and I see two young children sitting at the table across from each other with their heads bowed.

"Please stop playing with your peas, darling." My mother speaks to the red-haired child, her voice just as sweet as I remembered.

From afar, I watch as my sister Gayle kicks the red-haired child from under the table. The red-haired child chances a well-concealed scowl back at her.

The redhead turns to my mother and speaks in a voice as delicate as the wind, "But mommy, I don't like peas."

My mother opens her mouth to reply, eyes darting warily towards the worn out man sitting at the opposite side of the table, "I know but they're good for-"

"Eat them." His voice cuts through my mother's sweet words. He stares down at his plate, fingers tapping the top of his crystal glass full of an amber liquid. That voice sends tremors running down my legs and I have to remind myself that this is only a dream to stop myself from trembling but it's of no use; the memories come rushing back and suddenly I want this dream to end. I feel warm tears running down my cheeks.

"But daddy," The red-haired child's lip begins to quiver. "Peas make me feel so sick. Please-"

Like a snake springing upon its prey, the man jumps from his seat and grabs the tiny red-haired girl from her chair. He lifts her high into the air and with both hands, turns her quivering body to face him.

"What did I say!" Spittle flies from his drunken lips. The little girl is unable to speak, fright opening her emerald eyes wide as saucers.

Suddenly, water is splashed on them both. The man drops the red-haired girl back into her seat and whirls around to face Gayle as she cowers behind her chair, empty glass in hand.

I take a step towards the hologram, reaching out towards my ten-year-old sister. "Don't hurt her." But they don't hear me- this is only a dream.

"You little shit." The man growls through clenched teeth.

"Phil, please," My mother stood from her chair, clearly agitated. She pressed both palms against the table to keep them from shaking. "Girls, go to your bedroom."

"I can handle this, Madeline." The man spoke as he stalked around the table towards my cowering sister. He yoked her up by her collar and the glass she held in her hand shattered against the floor. Gayle cried out but her cries were cut off as she began to choke from her collar gathering too tightly around her neck. "What in the Hell do you think you're doing, Gayle?"

When her reply was only the sound of choking, he shook her violently, "Answer me, damnit!"

Like a bullet, a blur of tiny red collided into the drunken man, knocking him off balance. He dropped Gayle and she immediately scurried away. The drunken man grabbed the red-haired girl and began to hit her.

"Mary Jane Watson!" The man growled angrily, "I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

Despite this being simply a nightmare of a distant memory, I felt every blow. I cringed with the pain of a grown man hitting my tiny body with as much strength as he could muster. I ran into the hologram, arms flailing in an attempt to attack the man. Like smoke, the hologram waved and dissipated into the air.

* * *

The nightmares started the night after I was chased into my apartment building. Unlike most nightmares, these were not contained in the safe realm of sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, they began to replay like a movie stuck on repeat. I traveled through life like a zombie, drained and emotionless. Three days passed without sleep. I went to class but I stared blankly at the professor as she spoke, unable to make sense of the string of words coming from her lips. I went to rehearsal and recited my lines like a marionette, my words lackluster and plain. The only thing I paid special attention to was the setting sun and every day, I made sure I was home before dark... even if that meant cutting rehearsal short.

"MJ," Gwen met me at the door after rehearsal one day. "A package came for you."

She handed me a small square package. I walked into the kitchen with it and used a knife to cut open the packaging tape. Inside was a brand new iPod. I held it in my hands then turned it over to see that my name had been professionally etched into the back of it. Gwen stood beside me. She reached back into the box and pulled out a small card.

"Here," She handed me the card. "See who it's from."

I opened the card and read it out loud, "'Since you've been meaning to get a new one anyways. Harry O.'"

"What!" Gwen snatched the card from my hands, glancing it over, "Some nerve he's got!"

I absentmindedly handed her the iPod as I walked past her and sat heavily upon the couch in the living room. "You can have it. I don't want it." I leaned back into the sofa, fighting the heavy eyelids that threatened to fall over my eyes.

Gwen sat down beside me and pressed the backside of her palm against my forehead. "You feeling okay? You don't look so hot."

I pulled away from her touch. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well lately." She was worried, I could see it on her face. I mustered up the best smile I could and patted her knee. "I'm fine, Gwendy. Don't worry."

"Okay, well, Peter and I were going to grab a pizza at Mellow Mushroom. I can stay here though-"

"No way, Jose." I forced a laugh, "You and Peter are going on your first official date and you're talking about staying home with me? Not a chance. Go. Have fun. I'll be fine."

"It isn't a date, MJ." It took her a moment but finally she nodded her head and stood from the couch. "If you need me I'll come right home."

I didn't fight with her on this one. I simply nodded my head and motioned towards the door, "Go on with your bad self. Enjoy your night with Parker."

Gwen said her goodbye's and left.

In this quiet, empty apartment I felt my nightmares inching closer. Every time I blinked, the nightmares threatened to pull my sub-conscious back into their realm. I stood from the couch and began to pace, trying desperately to keep myself awake.

_Aunt Anna._

I don't know where the thought came from but suddenly Aunt Anna's name came into my mind. Perhaps being with her would help my nightmares subside. In theory, it made sense. I had moved in with my Aunt Anna when I was thirteen, after running from city to city with my mother and Gayle, trying to escape my father and his abuse. I remembered the nightmares I had when I first moved in with her. I remembered how they kept me up for days on end and how Aunt Anna would let me lay my head on her lap and she would stroke my hair until I fell asleep. Eventually the nightmares stopped and I was able to sleep again.

I grabbed my jacket and threw it on. I left my apartment and began the short walk to the subway station. It didn't occur to me what time it was... or how dark the streets were at this time of night. Blindly, I walked to the subway station, thinking only of my Aunt Anna; a zombie seeking out the only thing that could offer it an inkling of solace. Had someone been following me, I would not have noticed. I saw the world through tunnel-vision, walking towards the subway station more from memory than from sight.

The subway train was empty. I paced from one end of the train to the other, fearful of the heavy eyelids that weighed heavier with each passing moment.

Aunt Anna's was not within walking distance of the subway station. I charged the last $30 in my bank account to the cab driver who drove me the distance from the station to my aunt's. Her home was dark. As the cab driver drove away, I stood on the sidewalk looking up at her small two-story townhouse. In all the years I had known my aunt, she had never forgotten to at least turn on the porch light.

Sudden alarm gripped my heart, squeezing it tight within its grip. I ran up the steps leading to my aunt's porch. I knocked on her front door but my knock pushed open the already slightly open door. Without a second thought, I pushed open the door and walked into her dark living room.

"Aunt Anna!" I called out into the darkness, feeling for the light switch on the wall. I flicked on the light switch but the light didn't come on. "Aunt Anna!" I tried again, feeling my way through the darkness.

I was panicking now. I ran from the home, jumping the steps leading down from the porch and landing unsteadily on the sidewalk. I sprinted to the townhouse next door, my aunt's best friend, and I banged on the front door.

"Aunt May!" I called out, panic seeping through my words.

The elderly woman answered the door, barely opening it at first but upon seeing my familiar face, she opened the door wide. "Mary Jane, what's wrong?"

"Something's not right at my Aunt Anna's. The power's out and she isn't responding." I shook my head in disbelief, "I just have this feeling-"

"I'll call the police immediately. Come inside." Aunt May opened her door and motioned for me to come inside.

"No, I can't. I need to find her." I scanned the living room. "Do you have a flashlight?"

"Yes, yes," Aunt May hobbled to a closet on the opposite end of the living room. She opened it and pulled out a flashlight. I grabbed the flashlight from her hand and without another word, ran back to my aunt's.

I clicked the flashlight on in the living room. Everything appeared to be normal; Nothing had been overturned or broken. I continued walking, sweeping the flashlight over everything in front of me. My heart was pounding. Where could she be? She never left home after dark and she most certainly _never_ left her front door unlocked.

I walked past the stairs just as I heard the floorboard creak upstairs. I whirled around, shining the flashlight upon the stairs.

I could hear my heart beating in my ears as I ran up the stairs, two at a time. Just as I stepped onto the second story landing the flashlight illuminated a woman standing directly in front of me. I immediately placed her: it was the woman who had chased me into my apartment building.

"If you want a job done right," The deathly pale woman smiled at me, her black eyes gleaming with the light of the flashlight, "You better get a woman to do it."

"W-who," I tried to speak but the woman began to scream a subhuman screaming. The house shook and I stepped back in alarm. I felt the top step under my foot and I tried to stand my ground but the woman's shriek cast an invisible force that threw me backwards. I fell down the stairs, my back cracking against the hard wooden steps. From the bottom of the stairs, I stared up at the dark ceiling, my world spinning and my ears ringing.

I couldn't hesitate, even for a moment. I rolled over and crawled away from the stairs, unable to stand. The house shook and a sudden searing hot pain in my side caused me to scream out. I nearly fell onto my stomach as my arms and legs threatened to drop me. I forced myself to continue crawling until I felt someone grip my arm. I fought against them but they were too strong and I was too weak. They began to drag me through the living room, my wiry legs knocking against furniture.

"The Kingpin has formally requested your presence, Mary Jane Watson." The light of the moon illuminated the porch as the woman dragged me across it. The Kingpin's name sent a new kind of terror running through me. "You're a difficult one to snag, Ms. Watson. We had to lure you away from your apartment because the little itsy bitsy spider has been keeping a _very_ close eye on you."

I glanced up and towards the street. A black Lincoln Navigator sat parked with the backseat door open and two men dressed in black suits standing beside it.

The woman continued speaking, joyful as she slowly dragged me across the porch, "He's going to follow you and when he does," She stopped and turned to me, bringing her pale face down to my level, "We're going to squash him like the bug that he is."

Ignoring the pain in my arm as I twisted, I whirled my body around and shoved the heels of my feet into the woman's face. Her grip loosened on my arm and I wrenched it free. I forced myself to my feet and began to run across the porch, away from her. If I could just make it to the railing, I could jump and run to Aunt May's. The cops would be here any minute now- I just had to make it to the railing and jump-

"You little-" Suddenly, I was crippled. I fell to my knees, hands over my ears in an attempt to block out the strange woman's supersonic screams. The entire home shook beneath me as the woman continued to scream, taking short, deliberate and angry steps towards my writhing body.

The screaming ceased as she stood over me. She shoved the toe of her boot into my gut and I cried out in pain. My ears were ringing and I could hardly hear her as she spoke.

"Just for that..." She reached down and yanked me up by my arm. "Go join your daddy in dreamland."

Barely able to stand, ears ringing, body broken: I was unable to dodge the woman's punch. Her fist connected against my jaw with a power that was beyond any normal human. For a moment, I fought the veil of darkness that threatened to fall upon me but I lost the battle.

I fell to the porch, the cold blanket of unconsciousness falling over my body. The nightmares began again just as soon as my father had landed his first punch, my mother's frantic screams echoing within my skull.


	12. Chapter 12: Rage

**Chapter 12:** Rage

Peter and Gwen sat across from each other, hunched over a table painted in neon, psychedelic swirls. The medium-sized pizza they had ordered an hour earlier was practically untouched as they raddled off and discussed the most current discoveries in the scientific world.

"Well, it  _could_  be the Higgs particle." Gwen's eyes danced as she spoke, "We all know that the Higgs Field is a real thing. We just haven't found substantial evidence to substantiate-"

Gwen's words were drown out by Peter's thoughts. He watched her as she spoke, not completely paying attention to the words she rambled off and instead, watched the way she spoke them. Here was a woman who was not only beautiful but kind and intelligent. When Peter had first mentioned the very recent potential discovery of the famed Higgs particle, he was doubtful that the fair-skinned beauty would have any idea about the discovery. He often found himself underestimating Gwen's immense knowledge, selling her short because of her bleach-blonde appearance.

From the very beginning, Peter couldn't believe that Mary Jane and Gwen were best friends. As Gwen continued on about the Higgs particle, Peter sat back in his chair and smiled, nodding every so often, but his thoughts were elsewhere. While Mary Jane was fire, Gwen had seemed to be ice. But perhaps Peter was wrong- perhaps Gwen had just as much fire as her red-haired best friend, just in a different way.

 _'It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about something.'_  Peter chuckled softly at his thoughts. Hearing his laughter, Gwen abruptly stopped listing off the chronological order of discoveries relating to the Higgs particle from its initial discovery in 1964 to its most recent discovery in 2013.

"What's so funny?" She laughed with him, mistaking his laughter for something she had said.

Peter shook his head, smiling. "Nothing."

Gwen leaned back in her chair and smiled back at him, content in the comfortable silence developing between them.

The silence was short-lived as Peter's cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He furrowed his brows as he reached into his pocket.

 _'I wonder who that could be.'_  He pulled the phone from his pocket and looked at the picture of him and his Aunt May flashing upon the screen.

"Aunt May?" He spoke into the phone as he held it against his ear. Before his aunt uttered a single word, he knew something wasn't right. Her breathing was ragged as though she had been crying. Peter stood from his chair, limbs aching to spring into action.

"P-Peter, something happened at Anna's home." Aunt May sobbed softly before continuing, "Mary Jane came to check on her and-"

"Gwen, I have to go." Peter's voice was more stern than he had meant it to be. Gwen nodded adamantly, sensing the alarm rather than anger in his voice. He cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear as he pulled out his wallet. "And what, Aunt May? What happened?"

"There was a woman- I saw her drag Mary Jane from the house." Aunt May's words froze Peter in place. His wallet dropped from his hands and fell onto the tabletop.

 _'He's got her._ '

"Peter," Gwen stood and reached across the table to gently place her hand on his arm, "Are you okay?"

Gwen's touch spurred him back into action. "Aunt May, I want you to stay in your house. Lock the door and don't open it for  **anyone**. Got it? I'll be there soon."

Aunt May sobbed her compliance with his demands and Peter shoved the phone back into his pocket. He reached down and picked his wallet back up.

"I'm sorry, Gwen. I have to go." He pulled a twenty dollar bill from his wallet and placed it on the table.

Gwen nodded, retrieving her hand from his arm. "I understand." And she did understand. For as long as she could remember, her father would receive these kinds of phone calls- the kind that ended with him running for the front door with no explanation at all. Gwen had always understood and never asked for an explanation. Her father was a hero, Police Chief George Stacy, and someone needed his help. That was always explanation enough.

Peter paused for a moment, his brown eyes sweeping over her. He fought the urge to lean across the table, grab her by the shoulders and kiss her.

"Thank you." He stuffed the wallet back into his pocket and turned away from her, running towards the restaurant door.

Somewhere, Mary Jane was being held hostage by the Kingpin and his henchmen. His selfishness in focusing on his own wants had left Mary Jane open for attack. She had trusted Spider-Man to protect her and he had failed her.

_'If only we had stayed at their apartment- I could've kept an eye on her. Damn it!'_

These thoughts drove Peter blind with rage. He ran from the restaurant, shoving people out of his way as he dashed through the night. Making a sudden beeline from the sidewalk and into a dark alleyway, he emerged as Spider-Man, swinging with incredible speed towards his Aunt May's home in Midtown.

He swung into his upstairs bedroom and hastily changed back into his civilian clothes. He opened his bedroom door and breathlessly called for his aunt. He heard a muffled voice coming from the bedroom his aunt and uncle once shared.

"Aunt May?" He called again as he stepped into the bedroom. Suddenly, his elderly aunt stumbled from the bedroom closet with curlers still in her hair, a long cotton nightgown on and a baseball bat held haphazardly into the air.

"Peter!" She cried, dropping the baseball bat onto the floor. Peter spanned the short distance between them in two giant steps, engulfing her tiny frame within his arms. "Anna and Mary Jane," She cried against his chest. When she spoke, her words were broken and hardly intelligible. "That woman- pale as a corpse- dragged Mary Jane- oh, Peter! What if they-... what if they hurt her?"

Peter pulled his aunt from his chest and looked into her tear-streaked face, "Aunt May, wait for the police and stay here. Don't open the door for anyone." He hugged her again. "I love you."

Not wasting a single second more, he released her from his embrace and sprinted from the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. He ran back into his bedroom and threw off his clothes to reveal his Spider-Man suit underneath. He pulled the tightly wadded up mask from the back pocket of his discarded jeans and pulled the tight spandex mask over his face.

He crouched in the eve of his bedroom window and peered into the darkness at a home only a hundred feet away. The window that had once belonged to a young Mary Jane was dark. For the briefest of moments, he remembered a time long ago when he would watch from his window for hours for just a glimpse of the young red-haired beauty.

"Why didn't you just listen to me, MJ." Spider-Man shook his head, groaning. He knew there was no use searching for clues in his neighbor's home- The Kingpin's men  _never_  left clues...

"...unless the Kingpin wants to be found." He sprung from the window, swinging from a webline attached to his neighbor's porch roof. He stepped into the dark home and sure enough, there was the clue: a piece of paper left on top of the coffee table. He snatched the paper and walked back out onto the porch to read it in the moonlight.

**"Spider-Man: Meet us at Pier 13 or Red will meet a slow, painful demise. Come alone. Yours Ever So Truly, -W. Fisk"**


End file.
